Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-09-15 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
Our guide
Maruoka Castle, in Sakai, Fukui Prefecture, has a small keep with a big claim: it says it is the oldest in the country, a claim disputed by Inuyama Castle and Matsumoto Castle. It is a hirayama-style castle built at the end of the Sengoku period and held by a series of lords of the Maruoka Domain under the Tokugawa shogunate. It is also called Kasumi-ga-jō, “Mist Castle”, from the legend that a thick mist rose to hide it whenever an enemy came near. The grounds are now a park known for its cherry blossoms.
The ticket also covers the Ippitsu Keijō letter museum. The castle is open every day, with last entry at 16:30. We have not checked a public-transport route, so plan the journey on the map.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Maruoka Castle Keep Tower, Maruoka-cho Sakai 2013 — Tomio344456 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Oshizu Monument — 藤谷良秀 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Maruoka Castle 20100529-03 — baku13 · CC BY-SA 2.1 jp · source · resized
- Maruoka Castle 20100529-02 — baku13 · CC BY-SA 2.1 jp · source · resized
- View from Maruoka Castle — Mnd · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Maruoka stone — Supermidget · Public domain · source · resized
- Maruoka Castle 20100529-01 — baku13 · CC BY-SA 2.1 jp · source · resized
What this place is
Maruoka Castle (丸岡城, Maruoka-jō) is a hirayama-style Japanese castle located in the Maruoka neighbourhood of the city of Sakai, Fukui Prefecture, in the Hokuriku region of Japan. It also called Kasumi-ga-jō (霞ヶ城, Mist Castle) due to the legend that whenever an enemy approaches the castle, a thick mist appears and hides it. Built at the end of the Sengoku period, the castle was occupied by a succession of daimyō of Maruoka Domain under the Edo period Tokugawa shogunate. The site is now a public park noted for its sakura. The castle's relatively small tenshu (castle keep) claims to be the oldest in the country, a claim which is challenged by both Inuyama Castle and Matsumoto Castle.
Visitor information checked: 2026-09-15 · Maruoka Castle: visitor information
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Castle
Getting there
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